The House of Hades
by IzzyBookLover98
Summary: My version of the House of Hades! What will happen to Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Nico, Piper, and Frank? Will they save the world? What sacrifices will they have to make? Full of action, love, drama, excitement, and much more! Haha...my bad skills at making summaries. This is my first story! Read and REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I DO own The Heroes of Olympus. Rick Riordan just doesn't know it yet... * _ ***

**Nico's P.O.V.**

By the time this war was finally over, Nico was sure he was going to be locked up in a mental institution diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder along with major anxiety and a bunch of other stuff.

His week hadn't been that great so far. First, he ended up in Tartarus and almost went insane. Then, he was captured by two giants and was forced to watch one dance like a ballerina for two hours straight. Next, he was locked up in a bronze jar where he nearly suffocated, fell into a trance/coma, and came minutes away from dying inside. Finally, he had to watch two of his only friends fall into Tartarus. Plus, he was exhausted. To sum everything up, he was a mess.

Watching Percy let go of that cliff had been the most terrifying moment of Nico's life. It was worse than being turned into a flower, being labeled as an outcast, and seeing a giant in a way too tight leotard prance around doing pirouettes while trying to kill everything in his line of sight. It was more horrifying than the moment he found out that his sister died. At least he knew that she ended up in Elysium.

Tartarus was...just hearing the name made Nico dizzy. All of a sudden he could see the monsters surrounding him. Fire burned, coating the room in deadly flames. The walls were made of nightmares and the floors were created from his deadliest fears. The visions and creatures. He couldn't even begin to describe them. Black spots danced across his world threatening to overwhelm him, and he was about to pass out when something snapped him out of his trance.

"Nico!" Hazel shouted desperately. Terror streaked her voice and her eyes were wide and brimming with tears. She began to run towards him. It almost looked as though she was flying with the force of the endless black chasm propelling her towards it. What on earth was she doing? Shouldn't she be running away towards the ship, not towards Nico?

It finally clicked in his head. _He _needed to get up and move. After all, he would be no good to anybody if he ended up dead. Hazel was putting herself in danger trying to help him. He needed to tell everybody what Percy said. He needed to keep his promise. "Come on, Nico. Get yourself together," he thought.

Hazel was at his side now, and, with much struggle, she managed to heave him to his feet. He tried to support most of his weight with his own two legs, but, obviously, the past week hadn't had too many positive effects on his health, and he found himself relying on her strength more than he would like.

Each step towards the ship was a battle of its own. The combination of the tugging force working against them, Nico's weakness, Hazels fatigue, and the blanket of sadness that seemed to work similarly to ankle weights made the job of walking nearly impossible. He cursed himself for being so helpless. After all, she was his little sister. It was his job to be taking care of her, not the other way around! Yet, here they were. Hazel was practically carrying him at this point.

He could feel his body shaking, and his eyes were wet. He hadn't even realized he was crying until moments ago when his nose began to run and the water droplets dripping down began to pull his eyelids down with them. He was so tired, and for the second time in ten minutes he felt blackness creeping towards him.

He didn't want to sleep. Sleeping brought nightmares, and he couldn't handle any of those right now. Nico had already reached his breaking point and snapped. The only question left was if his sanity would shatter with it.

His breathing began to come in harsh gasps and sobs. He could hear Hazel muttering to him. Trying to reassure him that everything that was wrong, terribly wrong, was alright. He wasn't stupid.

"Come on, Nico. You can do this! We're just three steps away from the ladder where they can pull us up to safety. Shh, shh. It's okay. You're going to be fine. Breathe with me, breathe. Just one last step now. You can make it." He vaguely felt her lift him on to the sturdy rope ladder before climbing on herself. Her arms wrapped around him cradling his body in her grasp. The warmth felt reassuring and his sobs slowed. She was right. They had made it. They were safe for now, and in the present moment that's what Nico cared about.

The ladder began to jerk upwards leaving him with a nauseous feeling. Halfway to the top, Hazel pulled away. He could hear her puking, and hoped the people arriving at the scene below weren't directly underneath them. That would make for one very unpleasant surprise. Grasping her hand, he gave two quick squeezes hoping to make her feel a bit better. She returned the gesture by mumbling a quick thank you before vomiting again.

Moments later, he felt a pair of large hands grab him, and haul his body over the edge of the ship. It was Frank who quickly, but gently laid Nico's body across the hard, smooth wooden deck. Turning back to the ladder he helped Hazel over the side and let her lean against his sturdy frame. Not that Nico had a large say in the boys Hazel dated, but he approved of Frank. Though they barely knew each other, the tall boy seemed brave and caring. From what he had seen, Frank always had Hazel's health and best interests in mind, and that was what mattered to Nico.

Sure, Hazel would never be Bianca, but he loved her like a sister and couldn't stand to see her hurt. Anybody who wanted to touch Hazel or break her heart would have to go through Nico first. That is if he was ever able to get off the ground.

With a great deal of struggle, he managed to push himself into a sitting position. He could see everybody running around like crazy through half-open eyes. Hazel was sobbing into Frank's shirt, Frank was standing there, holding her while tears made their way down his cheeks, and Hedge was tending to Piper's sprained shoulder while she cried. Nico assumed she had seen what happened below by peering out from her safe area on the ship.

Leo and Jason were still too distracted by the matter at hand to see the tragedy that occurred. That or they were presenting an amazing cover up. He watched as Leo punched buttons and controls to get the ship moving away from the area. He probably assumed everybody was on the ship. It didn't matter at this point. Nobody else would be boarding anyways. Jason sprinted and flew rapidly around securing ropes, raising sails whose connection to the wii console had been broken, and not to mention completing the process of securing the Athena Parthenos **(sorry about my spelling) **to the Argo II. All by himself.

Nico had to admit, Jason was good. His years training at Camp Jupiter had definitely paid off. He had an admirable control over his powers, and over the time Nico spent at Camp Jupiter he could tell Jason was handy with many weapons and a decent friend too.

"Not as good as Percy though," he whispered. "Not as good as Percy."

That was the one of two things that consoled Nico. Jason was stronger than himself and Percy was about ten times better than the two of them combined. If Nico could survive in Tartarus alone, even if it was only for a short amount of time, Percy and Annabeth together could hold each other up. Right? He sure hoped so.

The second comforting fact was the Nico could tell they were not dead. At least no yet. He knew the familiar feeling in his chest when somebody close to him or his heart died, and he had not experienced that. It was a horrible sensation. His stomach tightened and he could literally see the air being sucked out of his own lungs as though it was running towards the dead person. He hated it almost as much as knowing somebody had died.

At that moment he heard a moan. Tilting his head upwards and cracking open his eyes he saw Leo looking miserable. He must have finally realized two essential members of the crew were missing. He seemed to be taking the news pretty hard and began pacing back and forth muttering, "It's all my fault." and something about a fortune cookie. Nico had no idea what that was about, be Leo seemed pretty upset about it and he figured it was best not to ask.

He turned his head towards Jason who had just finished attaching the stupid statue to the boat. I wobbled a bit when they went through some turbulence, but for such a large hunk of stone, it wasn't too bad.

When Nico saw Jason's face, he got mad. All the other's on the ship were mourning the loss of their friends. Even Coach Hedge! Jason on the other hand stood emotionless. He didn't from or cry or even look sad. Well, he didn't look happy either, but still. With a loss that great you'd think even his Roman armor would crumble a bit.

Nico fumed as he watched Jason go around comforting everybody and preparing the ship to sail. This just wasn't right! At that moment, Jason began to approach him, and Nico prepared to give him a piece of his mind.

"Hey, Nico. I know you are-"

Nico cut him off, "Shut up, Jason! You have no idea who I am or what I have gone through. All I have to say is look around you. Do you see Piper, Hazel, and Frank crying. Leo looks like he's ready to jump into Tartarus and go after them! But you, you're just playing superman. Starting the engine, mapping out the best route to Epirus, comforting everybody. Are you even sad? I bet you're glad Percy's gone. Now you can be the big-shot leader all by yourself. Well, guess what? It's not going to work! Leo is the captain of this ship, and I'm following his orders. We work as a team here, Jason. Get that through your head before you decide to sit at the head of the table tonight."

Nico watched Jason's eyes widen, and the boy began to walk away muttering apologies and trying to explain he was never planning on doing any of what Nico said.

All he could do was roll his eyes, but the sudden overwhelming action made his brain spin, and after about ten close calls so far that day, Nico blacked out.

**So, this is my first FanFiction EVER! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I love constructive criticism, and I can take a bit of hate. Love is always welcome 3 The more feedback I get, the faster I will update! I will probably add new chapters once or twice a week, but maybe more over Christmas break! Let me give you the order of how much I love each character:**

**Jason**

**Hazel**

**Nico**

**Leo**

**Percy**

**Piper**

**Annabeth**

**Frank**

**Now, if one of your favorite characters is near the bottom, don't worry , I wont be mean to them just because I don't like their character. In my world all characters are created equal...yeah, not really, but I will do my best to make everybody important. If I am bashing somebody you like, tell me so I can stop! I take requests, so you SHOULD request! I won't get annoyed if you ask for the same thing every time. Ask questions, go places, be amazing!**

**About me: I have a pet rock named Petronella.**

**I am a girl**

**I am fourteen**

**I love to write**

**I love to read**

**I love to dance**

**I love to sing**

**I LOVE MY FRIENDS**

**~ Izzy the girl with The Heroes of Olympus obsession**


	2. Chapter 2-Nico

**Disclaimer: I own none of this incredibly amazing awesome series, but I will one day! At least in my dreams...**

**Nico:**

When Nico awoke, he was shocked to realize that he hadn't had any dreams. It must have been the first night in...well it must have been the first night he hadn't had some sort of horror story nightmare playing in his head that would haunt him for the rest of his life. In fact, he felt pretty good for a fourteen year old guy who had been living off of deadly pomegranate seeds for the past week.

That reminded him, he was HUNGRY! Sure his stomach probably shrunk a bit, but at that moment, he was pretty sure he could eat an entire Hellhound! He pushed himself up into a sitting position and glanced around the room. Where was he? During his brief period of time aboard the Argo II, he had never seen this room before. His stomach groaned, and Nico decided that getting lost was better than staying put, so he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled out the door leaning against the wall for support.

Immediately he was surrounded by a beautiful smell: Hamburgers and fries. Nico had returned to heaven. Following his nose, he walked down the hall, up a flight of stairs, and emerged on the deck where Hazel, Piper, Frank, and Nico greeted him with a glum wave. Well, as sad as he was, Nico was hungry, and the first thing that popped out of his mouth was, "I'm starving! Where are the burgers?" His friends (he hoped he could call them that) burst out laughing before motioning him to sit down with them.

Still chuckling, Leo handed him a plate and offered a tray of cow meat topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes (which he removed), ketchup, a bun, and a side of fries. This was good. This was really good. Piper made a face as he bit into the beautiful burger...vegetarians...he didn't care though. All he could think about were the juices echoing through his taste buds. Nothing could have made this moment any better. Well, maybe a couple things, but hey, why not savor the moment.

"Enjoying that, Nico?" Hazel asked, giggling at his weird facial expression. He nodded before jumping in for a second bite.

"That's disgusting," Piper began, "Think about the poor cow that was slaughtered for your meal!"

"No thanks. I think I'll focus on how good the cow tastes."

"Eww. Hey guys, have you seen Jason?"

Hazel replied, "I don't know where he is? Actually, the last time I saw him was after he went below deck after making sure Nico was alright when he passed out. He's probably sleeping. It's been a long week."

"Yeah...I guess you're right. I'm gonna go check on him." She disappeared down the stairs. Nico couldn't help but feel a bit bad about what he had said to Jason earlier that day. It's just, he had been so tired and upset and hopeless. He needed to blame it on somebody and Jason was conveniently good at appearing not-sad. He would apologize but...it wasn't really his style. Plus, it was embarrassing. Adding "working on apologies" to his mental checklist, he went back to his burger.

An awkward pause began before Leo, being himself and all, decided to bring up the one subject nobody wanted to talk about.

"So, Percy and Annabeth," he said. Frank groaned, Hazel's eyes welled up, and Nico stayed deathly silent. "Okay look. I know this is the last thing you want to talk about but - Hey, Jason! Want to help me out here?"

Jason gave him a quizzical look, but sat down and began to brainstorm with Leo anyways. He refused the burger offered to him (now Nico was sure he was insane) and turned down a veggie patty from Piper's little stash too.

"I'm not hungry," he replied abruptly changing the subject. "So, Leo, you were saying?"

"I think we need to figure out a plan to save Percy and Annabeth."

"Aren't you in a good mood today...," Jason began smiling sarcastically. "I think you're right though. We've waited a few hours so Nico could be here to talk with us, and it's important to set the ship on the correct route. How are you feeling by the way, Nico?"

"Huh, me?" he replied. "Oh, I'm good. Uh, thanks...for asking, I guess." Embarrassment flashed through Jason's eyes for less than a second, but he covered it up quickly by smiling.

"That's good. So, back on topic. Does anybody have any ideas what we need to do next? Other than going to the House of Hades of course. That should be our number on priority."

Anger flared through Nico again, "You're wrong, Jason! Why are you so insensitive? Annabeth and Percy are number one. Followed by all the other stupid stuff. I know Hera gave you a sword. Next time try asking for something more useful. Compassion or emotions, maybe?"

Everybody's mouths hung open by the time he finished his little explosion. All except Jason's who had fixed his face into a Roman mask again and was trying to explain how "that was what he meant". Nico actually felt really bad. He hadn't meant to explode. He didn't mean to get mad. It just happened! Maybe he'd get some anger management therapy too in the loony bin he was bound to end up inside of. It felt like he couldn't control himself or what he said anymore. What was wrong with him, now?

"Nico, maybe we save this conversation tomorrow after you've had a bit more rest. I think you need it." Hazel said, her voice steely with a tinge of disappointment in her brother. "I think I'm going to hit the hay too, guys. See you in the morning. Good night everyone."

"Night, Hazel! See you guys in the morning," they all responded.

Hazel continued, "Oh, and happy birthday, Jason! Piper told me. You're sixteen now, right? You should have said something! We could have had a mini celebration earlier!"

Jason smiled weekly at the younger girl, "Thanks, Hazel!" With that, Nico felt a sharp yank on his arm as he was tugged down the stairs below deck. He quickly shoved the remaining bit of hamburger in his mouth, but this time it didn't taste too good.

"Nico! What is wrong with you? Do you know how mean that was?" she whispered angrily. They were sitting on an extremely comfy bed. This must be Hazel's room, he realized.

"I'm sorry!" he responded. "I don't know what I'm saying. It's like I can't control my emotions or what I say. It just pops out of my mouth before I even realize I'm going to say something!"

"Well, try getting some ownership over your words back because what you've been coming up with lately is plain insulting. Jason isn't an inanimate rock, you know."

"Are you sure? Cause that's kinda what he seems like to me." He was going to pay for that one.

"Stop it! Jason has been with the legion since he was two years old. He's gone through so much training to hide his feelings, it's not even funny! That doesn't mean however, that his emotions don't exist! He was trained to be a leader, Nico. I know you don't want to follow him, but it's what he's meant to do right now."

"You're right, Hazel. I'm not going to follow a dictator."

"He's not a dictator! A dictator doesn't ask for suggestions from all his friends, take care of a person who just insulted him when that person, hint hint you, passes out, or hide the fact it's his birthday, so everybody can stay focused on the matter at hand." Nico's face crumpled. He didn't want to say any of this! He didn't want to be the bad guy on the ship who messed up the most important quest EVER! He wanted to stop saying such stupid thing, but he didn't know how.

"I'm sorry, Hazel," he whispered. "I promise i'll try. I honestly didn't mean to say any of that. I didn't want to, but it's like somebody keeps pushing words into my mouth with so much force that they just come tumbling out. I can't stop them. It's like I'm-"

"Possessed! Nico, you're being possessed by eidolons. It happened earlier in our trip to Rome when we were trying to save you and the Athena Parthenos. They made Leo fire cannons on Rome and Jason and Percy tried to kill each other! That has to be what's going on."

Nico gave a sigh of relief. He wasn't a complete butt head after all. "How do we get then out?"

"Well, last time Piper charm spoke them. She made them leave and promise to never possess anybody on the ship again."

"So why are they in me?!"

"You weren't on the ship at the time, stupid!" she smiled at him, letting him know that she wasn't mad any more. That was a relief. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have Hazel on his side.

"Alright, well let's get this thing out of me, so I don't end up attacking anybody on this quest!"

"I don't think they were sent here to make you hurt anybody. At least, not physically. Gaia must have seen that we figured it out super quickly last time and sent this one to throw us off emotionally. Jason is the person who is able to hold himself together in tough mushy gushy feeling situations, so by breaking him, she hurts the rest of us too. This is fantastic, Nico!"

"It is?"

"Well, no, but at least I figured it out!"

"Hey, I think WE uncovered this one together. After all, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have needed to discover anything." he replied grinning.

She giggled, and Nico was glad to see the sparkle in her eyes had returned. At least a bit. "That's what a boost of confidence can do for you," he thought.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm super tired, and since you aren't going to be gutting anybody in the middle of the night, I propose we get this taken care of tomorrow. Besides, Piper's probably already asleep. I don't want to wake her up after such a hard day."

"Are you sure you want to risk it?" he asked.

"If you pulled out a weapon on somebody and charged in to battle, I would act now, but emotions can always be explained a day later. Now, give me a hug and go to bed Zombie Boy. You look like you're going to pass out again from pure exhaustion. Oh, your room is three doors down to the left in case you're wondering."

"Thanks, Hazel." he began while leaning in for a hug. "I owe you one. More like one hundred actually. You saved my life back there when. If you hadn't helped me, I would be in that black hole with Percy and Annabeth."

"Let's not talk about that right now. You're safe and I'm safe and we're here. Let's focus on that." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a brotherly hug. "I love you, Nico."

"Love you too, Haze."

All the while he was saying this, he could feel his fingers pulling out a knife. The blade glinted silver in the dim light as his hand positioned it in the perfect spot to kill her.

**Dramatic! It's cliffhanger! Or at least I think it is! So, Hazel wasn't entirely right. Will it cost her, her life? Wait and see next chapter! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Replies:**

**doubles12: THANK YOU! You were the only person who reviewed, but I will tight this entire story for you, even if nobody else follows it! (which they should) Spread the word? Thanks so much!**

**Also, let me tell you some more about me. I am not afraid to kill characters. In fact, somebody IS going to die before this story is over. People are going to have physical AND emotional issues because they are both SUPER hard to go through. Lol, I'm experienced with both.**

**Yeah, so...Love, Hate, Kinda Like? Tell me! Make requests too!**

**REVIEW REVIEW REIVEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW **

**~ Izzy the girl who is obsessed with grapefruits**


	3. Chapter 3-Nico

**Disclaimer: The Heroes of Olympus is not owned by IzzyBookLover98. If you thought it was you are officially...stupid :P**

**Nico:**

Every ounce of him was saying no, but his arm just wouldn't listen to him. Reality hit him hard in the face as he understood what was about to happen. He, Nico

Di Angelo, was about to kill his little sister. Time slowed down and his heart thudded painfully in his chest. He couldn't do this. He'd already lost so much. He couldn't stand to think about life without Hazel too. He couldn't be the reason she died. He didn't want to bring the blade down, and yet, it was what he had to do.

He was using every ounce of will left in his body to fight the eidolons and to resist Gaia's commands. He would NOT do this. He refused to be her puppet, but no matter how hard he tried, he found the knife getting closer and closer to its target. Gaia already had him hooked tightly, and now she was pulling the strings. Nico jump. Nico sit. Nico talk. Nico lie. Nico betray. Nico kill. It was inches from her spine now, and he couldn't bare to watch what he was about to do. He shut his eyes tight and braced himself for the contact.

The door opened, he and his sister were pushed to the floor, the knife still made contact, and Hazel screamed.

"Hey, Nico! Hands off Hazel! Get away from her you idiot! What in Hades do you think you're doing?" Frank bellowed. He sounded mad. Really mad. He felt Hazel lifted from his grasp as the older boy picked her up. She was conscious, but her eyes looked a bit glassy. At least she wasn't dead. At least he hadn't kill her.

"F-Frank, it's n-not his fault. He's being p-p-possessed by Eidolons. He wanted Piper to get rid of them tonight, but I told him we could wait till tomorrow. I thought they were only here to attack emotions. I was wrong. I'm so sorry! It's my fault I got hurt." she stuttered.

"Where did he stab you? Are you okay?"

"It just hit my arm. It's not too deep. With a bit of nectar it'll close up in no time."

"Well, if you're sure you're alright, why don't you go grab Piper while I guard Nico. Then, we can get this mess cleaned up before anyone else gets hurt."

She nodded and sprinted quietly from the room. Nico could hear her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Each pounding the wooden floor boards lighter than the last. This was horrible.

Frank growled at him, "I swear Nico, if you ever try to hurt her again I will-"

"I'm sorry! I swear on the river of Styx I didn't do it on purpose. I would NEVER try and hurt her. She's my little sister. She's saved my life on more than one occasion. I used to owe her a few favors. Now I owe her my life on top of that. You earned yourself a favor too. You know, stopping me from killing her and all that."

"Um, thanks..." An awkward pause followed as the two stared at each other waiting for the other person to break the silence. Frank still looked pretty mad about the whole situation, so Nico decided it would be best if he did the talking.

"Frank?"

"What, Nico?"

"Not that this will mean much to you, or make up for what I did, but I just wanted to say that I appreciate you taking care of her while I couldn't. You did a good job and, well, I- I- I trust you." He hung his head. Those were not words many people had heard from Nico Di Angelo. He hadn't said them many times in the first place. "I'm not asking me to forgive you or anything, but if you ever need any advice or help or, um, stuff, you can talk to me." Ehh, it was probably time for him to shut up now. He was starting to sound more stupid than heart felt.

"I'm not mad. It wasn't your fault, I guess. It's just a bit...shocking to walk into your girlfriend's room and find her brother about to literally stab her in the back. Not that you meant to, I mean."

About five minutes had passed and he was beginning to wonder where the girls were. He'd heard that Piper was a deep sleeper, but he was starting to think she was more like a rock if it took Hazel this long to drag her out of bed. Maybe all the beauty sleep was what gave her the good looks. Not that he like her or anything, but he had to admit she was gorgeous.

Realizing he was falling asleep and was still lying on the hard wood floor of Hazel's cabin, he pushed himself up into a sitting position leaning himself against her bed post. Couldn't they just get here already? He was about to guess that Piper was not only a rock, but a dead rock at that when she finally burst into the room followed by a pale-looking Hazel. She was gripping her upper left arm, and Nico could see that a bit of blood was seeping through her fingers. Guilt welled up inside of him and he immediately began spouting apologies. He was actually better at them than he thought! Maybe he could check that task off his mental checklist after all.

Piper turned to face the other demigods. "Frank, I want you to stay with me in case Nico goes ballistic while I'm trying to get this dumb thing to leave us alone. Hazel, go to the infirmary and start patching yourself up. As soon as I'm done with these two idiots, I'll go find Jason and send him to help you out."

"You don't need to wake him up. I'll be fine. It's not very deep, just bleeding a lot."

"Are you sure? Make sure you show it to one of us then before you go to bed. The last thing we want is to have you bleeding all night. We need you to be in best condition, Hazel!"

"Piper, calm down. I may not have trained at Camp Jupiter for too long, but I've stayed there enough to know how to bandage a small gash. Truly, you people underestimate me sometimes."

"Okay..." Piper sounded hesitant, but let the younger girl walk off to take care of herself. "Now, let's get to business. Try to stay calm, Nico. The less you fight me on this, the easier it will be. Then, I can go back to bed. Believe me, you are going to regret having woken me up tomorrow. The after effects of not getting a good nights sleep after a stressful day don't look goo on me. Or you."

Nico almost remarked that anything would suit Piper, but figured that was just the Eidolon speaking. Making a last attempt to mess something up. With great difficulty he managed to choke back the words. "You got it, Piper. And thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. Cut the crap. Now, let's begin." She closed her eyes and began to focus. Then her head snapped up. "Those who are being controlled by an evil being come forth." Her words carried so much will and power, Nico felt his body obeying without a question. The world around him blurred, and all that resonated within him were her words as they danced through his mind. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His only choice was to listen to her commands as they scrawled across his mind in permanent ink.

He wanted to follow Piper. He wished to obey her every command, and yet within him, he felt resistance. Something was pulling him back. A part of him wasn't in her control. It still belonged to Gaia, the Puppet Master, and the earth lady wasn't giving up without a fight.

His mind was in the middle of a tug-of-war competition. Piper grabbing on to one side, the Eidolon hanging on the other, and they were pulling hard! Part of Nico wished his head would just split in half and they could both take part of him with them. All this yanking was giving Nico a major head ache.

All of a sudden he gasped. It felt as though a cold breeze was draining from his body. The world started to blur into focus again, and he could make out gasping noises coming from within the room. It wasn't until a few minutes later he realized it was him. Piper leaned against the door frame, resting her soft brown hair against the hard wood. She looked exhausted, and he realized the excavation must have taken a lot out of her. After all, it was the middle of the night after a very long, drawn out, endless day. He wish it would just be over already. Things couldn't get any worse right? Once you hit rock bottom there was no way to swim but up. At least, that's what Nico had heard. Now that the dark spirit was out of him he could start doggie paddling his way to the surface. One day, he might even be able to breathe again. "Don't get too hopeful, Nico," he scolded himself. "You're a demigod. Oxygen probably isn't allowed."

"Is it out?" Frank asked. "Are we safe?"

"It's gone. They're all gone for good this time. I think." Piper pitched in.

"That's good enough for me. As long as we have the rest of the night in peace, I think I will be okay. We should all be alright now."

Nico joined the celebration, "You have no idea how good it feels to know I won't be insulting, hurting, or killing anybody else against my will."

"Well, good. Glad to be of service. It feel nice to be able to help out on the quest. I'm not that great a fighter so..."

"Piper, you're great with your dagger. Have a little faith in yourself! Now I'm gonna check on Hazel and get to bed. Night guys!" And with that, Frank left the room.

"I owe you one, Piper. I'm starting to think I owe everybody on this ship something as much as i've been messing up lately. I guess there's nothing I can do about it now. I'll just try to move forward and gain everybody's trust back as I go. I'm gonna catch some shut eye now. See you tomorrow! Hopefully under better circumstances."

"She responded as he began to walk out of the room, "Have a good night's rest. Oh, and Nico, I believe in you. I'm sure you'll do the right think from here on out. Let's just hope you don't prove me wrong." Don't prove me wrong. The words echoed in the room like Hazel's footsteps had followed him earlier, and as he stumbled tiredly to his room he couldn't escape them. He had let so many people down. If Percy had seen him today... No. From now on he would do the right thing. And he would start by explaining to the rest of the population on the Argo II what had happened. They would understand. Especially Leo, if Hazel was telling the truth of how he fired on New Rome. Yikes, that did not sound like a pleasant situation.

Finally, his thoughts drowned out the world around him and he fell asleep to the world of dream...or nightmares.

_He was in a pitch black room under the earth. Far under the earth. He couldn't see anything, but he new he was surrounded from the sounds of screams ricocheting of the hard stony walls. Tartarus. He was in Tartarus._

_ Suddenly, fire blazed deep from within the pit providing a source of deep dangerous light. Around him were bones scattered along the floor. _

_A head here _

_a femur there _

_bones bones everywhere_

_ Nico wasn't even sure where that came from. All he knew was that it was incredibly disturbing. Especially since they were human bones._

_ A girl's scream filled the room followed by a boy's shout of terror. He would know those voices anywhere. It was Percy and Annabeth._

_ "Percy, help me! I can feel them grabbing me! Make it stop, make it stop. Please make it stop." Nico watched as Percy grabbed his girlfriend and began stumbling through the maze of skeletons and watched in horror as the bones reached out to grab the and trip them. _

_ He turned his head in the direction they were heading, and to his horror, an army was assembling. Bones were pairing up with each other, making themselves whole again. They could talk, and they were shouting his worst nightmares (which this was by the way). His friends had no choice but to keep moving. From the urgency in there steps to the loud banging coming from the corridor behind them, he could tell they were being followed by a monster. Something big. Maybe too big. And they were running into an army, a legion of prepared soldiers. And there was nothing Nico could do about it._

_ The last thing Nico saw was the Lernaean Hydra bursting from the depths of the pitch black tunnel. One hundred heads and all. His friends cried out in terror. Everything went black._

**Yay, I finished it! Not really a cliffy, but it didn't end on a calming note. Don't worry, there is a battle coming up on the Argo II, and it's not going to end exactly as they would like. Actually, I'm going to do something to change it up a bit (I hope). Anyways, I keep forgetting to tell you guys whose point of view the story is going to be in!**

**Alright, there will be four people and the first one is pretty obvious**

**Nico!**

**Then JASON!**

**Hazel!**

**and finally...Frank!**

**Don't worry, you will still get a chance to check up on Percy and Annabeth (that is if they're still alive) through dreams, and I have something else planned for a little bit in the future. Then you'll get to spend a lot more time with them. Anyways, I'm going to do three chapters in each person's point of view. Four if I REALLY like them, and maybe two if I get bored with somebody. **

**I WILL ALWAYS TAKE REQUESTS SO RRRREEEEEVVVVVIIIIIEEEEEEWWW W!**

**Replies: (Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed and the two who followed my story! Each time a new alert popped up I couldn't stop smiling :) You guys really made my day!)**

**Guest: I DO absolutely love the series and Greek mythology! I'm slightly obsessed actually...that's okay though :P Thank you SO much! It means a lot to me!**

**Twelfth Legion F: First of all THANK YOU! Secondly, I will try to post a new chapter once a week every saturday, maybe sunday. BUT since it's Christmas break in less than a week I will update much more frequently! Once, twice, three times, and Maybe even four times a week!**

**TB: You're right! Everybody does hate Octavian, that stupid pillow pet killer. Sorry about the grammatical errors. I do my best to catch them, but I'm not very good with commas. Also THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! It made me happy!**

**Ace1412: I updated! I hope the cliffy didn't kill you while I was gone :D I really glad you like it so much, and thanks for the review!**

**doubles12: I love writing, so I definitely try to do my best with grammar and develop a writing style that fits with the characters! I know what you're talking about. I hate it when someone has a perfectly good story, but can't be bothered to take the time with punctuation. It drives me crazy! Anyways, you reviewed again and now I'm jumping with joy :P THANKS! I will definitely keep writing!**


	4. Chapter 4-Jason

**Disclaimer: Hmm...I can't think of anything remotely funny to say right now so...I don't own HoO.**

**Jason:**

Life pretty much sucks when the only person who hates you more than your "friends" is yourself. He didn't understand where everything went so wrong. Sure Annabeth had always been mad that he wasn't Percy, and he and the latter almost killed each other a couple times, but the rest of the crew? What had he done to them that was just so bad?

Well, he may have given Piper some mixed signals about Reyna (which he felt horrible about), he'd offended Hazel by being suspicious of her brother, Leo felt like a third wheel when Jason was around, and Frank, well Jason hadn't saved Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus so that was enough to make anybody despise him.

He just wished he could stop causing problems and start fixing them. The reason he wanted to talk to Reyna was because his memories were still coming back. Whenever he was around her something sparked inside of him and the pieces of his life started to fit again. He wasn't in love with her, just friends. Well, he was her friend. The last time she saw him was when she ordered a brick to be thrown at his head, so he wasn't quite sure how she would feel about his previous statement. The brick hurt way more than he admitted to the crew, but he was tired of doing nothing all day and having people take care of him.

Then he passed out like four more times, and successfully did nothing to aid his friends along the entire journey to Rome. Nothing. He was the one who deserved to be put in Tartarus, not Percy or Annabeth. If there was any possibility of swapping himself in, he would do it gladly. He deserved to be punished for everything bad he had done. He wanted to punish himself.

His stomach growled with hunger, but he just rolled over in his bed feeling nauseous. He was so tired, but couldn't manage to fall asleep as thoughts swirled through his mind endlessly. They were like hundreds of sheep flashing in front of his eyes, but instead of soft fluffy fur to put him to sleep, these had metal claws and gnashing teeth ready to eat him alive.

Out of the blue came a scream. It sounded as though it was coming from the direction of Hazels room. He waited, prepared to rush into battle if something else went wrong. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, passed his door, and stopped around Piper's. He could hear somebody drawing in shaky breaths, unable to control anything. He heard the body slide down the wall shortly after and begin to sob. He was tempted to exit and see what was wrong, but afraid to go where he was unwanted. He settled for cracking his door open just enough to identify the person. A girl by the sound of the crying.

Hazel sat outside Piper's door, rubbing her eyes against the cloth of her pajamas attempting to wipe away the salty water as it leaked out. She gripped her upper left arm tightly, and Jason could see a thin line of blood running down the cotton shirt. He was about to leave his room and check on her when Hazel bounced up. Vigorously wiping her eyes until any sign of tears left, she knocked on his girlfriend's door. It opened about a minute later to a groaning, but concerned Piper.

"Hazel, are you okay? What's wrong? Oh my god you're bleeding!'

"I know Piper, I know. Nico has been possessed by an Eidolon and he attacked me. He would have k-killed me, but Frank stopped him. The knife just scratched my upper arm. It'll be fine."

"What do you need help with? Do you want me to bandage you up?"

"No, no. We can do that later. Actually, we were hoping you could get rid of the thing possessing Nico now. Franks in my room with him making sure he doesn't try to do anything else stupid."

"I knew something was up with Nico! All that stuff he said to Jason earlier, I just didn't understand where that was coming from? What was Gaia's plan with that anyways?"

"I'll explain my theory on the way, but let's go! The boys will be wondering where I've gone to."

"Alright. Whisper so we don't wake Jason and Leo."

Both girls tip toed down the hallway, and, acting on impulse, Jason followed them. He needed to make sure Hazel was okay and that they didn't need any help from him. He watched from a distance as they entered the younger girl's brightly lit room and heard everybody arguing over what to do with Hazel. In the end, he watched the girl slip out alone and make her way towards the infirmary. Figuring that he could help her, he followed. He let her enter the room alone, so he didn't surprise her when he made himself known. The last thing she needed was to add shock to what she was treating herself for.

Jason let himself walk normally towards the sick room, and knocked gently on the door to make his presence known before entering it. The lights were lit dimly casting an eerie glow over the room. Shadows from the furniture appeared to reach out at them as though trying to steal them away to a different world. Whether it was Paradise or Hell compared to the life they lived at the moment, Jason wasn't sure. Hazel sat on the bed. Her gold eyes wide, surprised that he was in the room with her. Candle light glinted off of them making them shine.

"Hey, Jason. I'm sorry they woke you and made you come help me. I told Piper not to, but I guess she-"

"Woah, Hazel. Hang on a second. Piper didn't send me. I came on my own!"

"You did? Wait how did you know I was here? Are you hurt too? Is that why you came?"

"No, no. I just couldn't sleep, and then I heard you, um, crying outside of Piper's room. I kinda eavesdropped a bit, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. I peeked out and saw you were bleeding, so I thought I would come help you fix it up. It was part of my training and all, so I thought some extra hands might be useful. If you want me to go I will. I mean I get how you might still be mad after what I said about Nico. You may not want me here. I really didn't mean it, Hazel. It was a mistake. I'm sorry! Maybe I should just go. I mean-" now it was Hazel's turn to interrupt his long, rushed, jumbled speech.

"Jason, it's okay. I'm not mad. I should be thanking you for coming here to help me. You don't have to leave. Unless you want to of course."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Of course I don't hate you! I mean I got mad at you and Leo sure, but you apologized, and I see how you guys were a bit suspicious."

"At least that's one person who doesn't despise me." He whispered softly to himself, hoping Hazel wouldn't hear him. He didn't need pity. "So, let's get you bandaged up and off to bed."

"Okay."

"Can you show me the cut?"

She rolled her eyes, "No, Jason, you're not allowed. I expect you to clean it and dress it blindfolded while riding a unicycle and juggling."

The lack of sleep caused him to stare at her blankly until she laughed at him.

"You're so stupid sometimes! Get over here and help me patch it up. Of course you can see it." He grinned. He forgot how much he had missed being on good terms with Hazel.

The gash wasn't too deep, but it was long and bleeding steadily. While dripping nectar over it carefully and applying disinfectant they began chatting like old friends. For a moment, Jason forgot about the quest and the pressure and the giants, and it felt good.

As he was wrapping her arm, he dropped the roll of gauze and somehow managed to be unable to find where it went though the other half was still attached to her arm. It stayed that way until he managed to trip over the leg of a chair and face plant finding the gauze in front of his face on the ground. By the time he got off the floor and finished dressing the cut they were both bursting with laughter. It was probably from the pure exhaustion since none of it was that funny, but hey, he would take a little happiness whenever he could get it.

Finally they were done and due to the crazy mood Hazel's arm was not only bandaged, but also decorated with a neon pink bow they found on the ground, rainbow crayola markers, and stickers shouting "Merry Christmas!" even though it was summer. They stumbled out of the room leaning against each other and making a racket from all the giggling. They hadn't realized, but they spent three hours performing that simple task and the clock now read 3 a.m.

That was the best time he'd had in a while, and he was sad to drop Hazel off at her room. He really liked Hazel, not in a like-like way, or at least he didn't think so, but she had an awesome personality and as of tonight he just wanted to be around her.

"Don't include that detail with Piper," he reminded himself. As innocent as what he did with Hazel was, Piper was already paranoid enough about Reyna. Jason didn't need to add Hazel to that list. Not to mention the girl had Frank as her boyfriend and Leo as a not-so-secret admirer. She had too many guys to handle already.

His thoughts, much more peaceful than before, resembled fluffy clouds of fur bouncing across his room and he was lulled off to sleep almost instantly.

_ He dreamed of Piper. Her kaleidoscope eyes changing colors constantly, lulling him into a sort of trance. He watched her, unable to remove his gaze from the beautiful greens, blues, and deep brown shades that mesmerized him. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to take her and pull her close and hold him forever because even in his arms he was afraid of losing her. He loved her, he realized. And he loved the way she laughed and was stubborn and more of a fighter than a lover even though she was a daughter of Aphrodite. He wanted, no needed her to love him, and yet, that was the one thing she couldn't do anymore because he was dreaming and Piper didn't trust him the way he did her. And not to mention the worst part of it, the gorgeous figure smiling at him below, well, that Piper was dead."_

Jason woke to a scream, and for a moment his cheeks flushed bright red assuming it came from him. The nightmare shocked him, scared him, no terrified him. Piper was dead and somehow he knew it was his fault.

That's when he heard another scream and realized it in fact did not come from his mouth. Complete horror overtook him as he recognized the voice immediately.

His nightmare was coming true and he wasn't sure if he could reach her room in time to stop the disastrous event from taking place. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening now of all times. The scream came from Piper, and she needed help.

**Oh my gods, I am SO sorry! I haven't updated in over a week! (Less than two though which is a good thing). Consider this punishment for only getting two new reviews! So...the more review, THE FASTER I UPDATE!**

**Really, even if you absolutely hate it. TELL ME WHY!**

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**Please? :D**

**To those who did last time, Thank you 3333**

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**raisa864: THANK YOU! I really like Nico's character, but Rick didn't give him a giant role or personality even in this last book. That was one of my main goals for this story. I'm glad it's working! Thanks :)**

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	5. Chapter 5-Jason

**Disclaimer: If anybody wants to buy out Rick Riordan and give the series to me, I would be more than happy to own the characters :)**

**Chapter Four: Jason**

Jason's blood ran cold. He had to help her! He had to save her! He bolted from the room, sending his door flying open and smashing against the wall as he went. Well, at least it would wake up everybody who didn't hear Piper. She may have just had a nightmare, but Jason had a feeling it was something bigger. Bigger and much worse.

Turning the final corner he ran towards her room and promptly face planted the hard wood of her door as it was locked and didn't open when he turned the handle. He went silent, listening for a moment. Maybe she hadn't screamed. Was he just hallucinating and his imagination had run a little wild? No, he knew what he heard was real, and no four inch thick block of wood was going to stop him from saving her.

Bracing himself, he stepped back before catapulting himself into the barrier standing between him and his girlfriend. He heard a loud crack just as an intense pain flared through his shoulder. He just hoped it was the door making noise and not his collar bone breaking. The hurt dulled almost immediately as it was replaced by adrenaline and the fact that there was a large crack running through the wood, but the passage to Piper was not yet open. Darn Leo for making everything so high quality! Maybe the whole idea of sound proof rooms wasn't actually the best idea.

He ran hard and fast jumping and throwing all his weight into his leap, and to his relief he crashed through the door. He could hear his friends thundering down the halls towards him. Back up would arrive in just a few seconds, and boy was he glad. Two Empousai stood in the center of the room. Each held two glinting silver blades, and one had them positioned around Piper's neck.

The girl was shaking with fear, and it was clear there was nothing she could do to escape the situation. She had probably tried using her charmspeak, but found it inaffective against the monsters. He glanced around and saw Katropis sitting on her bedside table just two feet away from her. If he could convince the Empousai to release her for just a second...

At that moment his friends burst into the room. He could see them gaping. First at the broken down door, and then at the beasts standing in front of them. threatening one of the quest members.

"Why hello. So nice of you all to join us," one of the Empousi purred. "My name's Kelli. It's such a shame that boy, what's his name, oh yes, Percy Jackson isn't here. I was so looking forward to finishing him off myself, but I guess Tartarus will just have to do."

"Shut up," Nico hissed. "He and Annabeth are both alive, and they are going to stay that way for a very long time.:

Kelli laughed, "Oh, Nico. You're so hilariously delusional. Let's see, according to my watch your friends have about, oh sixty seconds before they become monster chow. Just you wait and see. Of course, you can change that. You see you and your friends have a choice."

"Oh do we?" Hazel asked. "How about I choose we chop your ugly heads off and send you to rot in Tartarus while we meet Percy and Annabeth at the doors, so we can rescue them."

"Ah, ah, ah. That's not an option though. Oh, and don't forget, I can make this sweet little thing disappear with a single slice of my blade. Don't make any snap decisions to attack, or my knife might just slip." She grinned, tracing the blade along Piper's neck and drawing a thin line of blood. It was just a surface cut, but Jason could tell it took every ounce of will inside of Piper to keep her from screaming."

"Such a pretty face," Kelli continued. "Wouldn't be a shame if somebody messed it up. That Castellan boy still looked okay with that jagged mark down his. She might be able to wear it well. I doubt it though. Little things like this can be crushed so easily."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Jason shouted angrily. He tried to run at her, but Frank and Leo held him back.

"Oh, a feisty one! Kinda cute too! If I didn't have to kill you, I'd give you my number."

"I'd rather date a rock than have to look at you for more than five minutes. Now leave my girlfriend alone, or I will kill you!"

"You're no fun. Well, whatever. You're going to die soon anyways. Now, for you choices. Number one: Piper dies. Two: Percy and Annabeth die. Three: You all come with me, and nobody dies...for now. Four: I just kill all of you."

He had to do something to save everybody. He was the freaking son of Jupiter after all. Why was he so worthless? All he'd manage to do so far was break down a door (His shoulder was really starting to hurt. He had probably dislocated it). Nico's words began to circulate through his head leaving him dizzy and guilty. He was supposed to save everybody. He was supposed to be a leader. Why couldn't he do anything right? Jason couldn't remember the last time he'd cried, but now he wanted to. He was ready to crumple to a heap on the floor and die. They'ed be better off without him anyways.

"Umm...so, uh, Kelli was it?" Leo began. "It's nice of you to offer, but do you by chance know if there are any other offers?"

"No! These are your choices. You have ten minutes to leave this room and decide. One second late, and the girl dies."

Rattled, his friends began to file out quickly from the room, but Jason's feet were stuck to the ground. He saw Piper's eyes, watery with pent up fear. They were begging him to save her. Pleading with him to make sure everything would be alright. At that moment, Jason knew. The success or failure of this was completely up to him. Either he figured out a way to save them all, or the quest failed because he wasn't smart enough.

"I'll be back, Kelli, and I swear, if I found out you cut one hair off her head, you're dead."

"Bye, Jason."

Outside the room, his crew mates were freaking out. No that was an understatement. The were all completely hyperventilating to the point of no return.

"What do we do?!" Hazel shouted. "We can't let Percy and Annabeth die, but letting her takes us away is like suicide! The quest would fail, and Gaia would destroy the world. She has Piper too. Oh gods, I think I'm going to puke." Frank rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort the girl.

So much had happened in the span of less than a single day. Jason didn't know how much more everybody could take. He looked around the hall and saw shadowy eyes and pale faces. All of them were so worn out. "Think, Jason think." There had to be a solution. Some way to escape their horrible fate.

"We're running out of options, guys," Frank stated. "I am going to sound like a completely horrible person, but I think our best option right now is to make a decision. The quest will take a hit, but we can't even be sure of the members. Nico here is kind of an alternate, and I wouldn't be surprised if we made a mistake and Reyna ends up being a part of it."

"What are you suggesting then, Frank? Do you want us to just let them kill Piper, so the rest of us can get away?"

"Well...it's bette-"

Jason was fuming. How could they even consider letting Piper get killed? "Shut up, Frank! She's not dying, and neither is anybody else?"

"Well what do you want us to do Jason, almighty son of Jupiter? Sacrifice the world, so your little girlfriend gets to live five extra minutes?"

"No! We need to find a way out of this. We can make a plan. It's five against two after all."

"Just stop. It's time for you to accept the facts that Piper isn't going to make it. I'm sorry, man. I really am."

"Is that what you would say if it was Hazel in Piper's position? Would you let them do that to her?" spat Jason.

Frank paled.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. I love her."

"But, Jason. She doesn't love you back. She likes you, sure, but you can see it in her eyes. She's not in love." Jason snapped. He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell at Frank. Push him up against the wall and shake him for lying and messing with his emotions. He'd had enough insults thrown at him in the past few hours. He didn't need to add a broken heart to the list.

The world was spinning as fast as his thoughts were racing through his head. It wasn't "enough". It was too much. He could hear arguing in the background. A hand touched his shoulder, and he saw Hazel's eyes meet his own. There were tears inside threatening to spill. Normally, he would have comforted her, but now was not the time. They were out of time. The clock on the wall said their ten minutes were just about up. If Jason was going to save his friends, it was now or never.

"You have less than a minute to get of this ship and run as fast as you can." he whispered to them. All around him mouths dropped open, and confusion clouded the air.

"Jason-"

"You heard me. Go. Get out. Save yourselves. GET OUT!"

Tearing away from the group, he sprinted towards Piper's splintered door. Sparks of electricity were shooting off his body. He had a plan, but he wasn't sure if it would work. If it did and he survived, Leo would end up killing him anyways.

He had to save Piper, kill the Empousai before they passed a message to Gaia telling her to kill Percy and Annabeth, and hopefully save himself too."

He burst inside just as Kelli's voice rang out, "Time's up."

"I made a decision." He wanted to stall for time as long as possible. Give the others a chance to get away.

"Oh, and have you made a good one and a bad one."

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"Cut the crap, Jason, and tell me what you've decided."

"Tell me something first."

She glared at him. "Why should I?"

"Why not?"

"You're lucky you're so hot. Alright, what is it?'

"Can I kiss Piper?"

"Now why on Earth would I allow you to do that?"

"Because she's about to die, and you're about to kill her." He couldn't stand the look on Piper's face when the words tumbled out of his mouth. On top of that she started sobbing. He wanted to tell he it was all a part of the plan. She was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay.

"Well, I suppose. But only because you've come to a decent conclusion. Not the best, but not the worst I suppose. Also, I'm not letting her get anywhere near that door. You're coming over here. I've gotten so nice these days!"

"Yeah, you're just an angel." He walked towards Piper while bracing himself. This was going to end badly no matter what happened, so he may as well make the best of it.

Leaning down to Piper's moist face he whispered, "I love you." Then he pressed his lips against hers. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kelli coming towards them both with a knife in here hand. _A boy and a girl's blood._ That's what Gaia wanted. Well, he wasn't going to let that happen.

Jolting back, he blasted Piper with wind so hard it sent her crashing through the walls of the ship and flying into mother nature below. Then, while praying to his father to cushion her landing, he summoned the largest blast of lightening he ever had, and the ship exploded all around him.

Golden dust, wood, metal, and fire exploded around him. And then...Blackness.

**I know. I haven't updated in a while. In my defense I have reasons.**

**My personal life has been super stressful**

**I only got TWO reviews.**

**I don't really want to list the rest, but yeah :P**

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**I promise. The more review I get, the faster I will update. I just need to know people are actually reading this! My feelings are just so hurt by the lack of reviews. *SOB***

**Anyways,**

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	6. Chapter 6-Jason

**Disclaimer: Regretfully, I still do not own The Heroes of Olympus. If I did, I would be a character in the book, and I would be married to about half of the people in it.**

**Chapter Six Jason:**

_Jason snapped awake to the scent of ambrosia and a soft hand on his forehead. He sighed in relief expecting to look up and see Piper. She must have survived the explosion! He had done something right! Yawning, he glanced up and saw...Annabeth? Wait, what was she doing here? Not that he wasn't ecstatic, but wasn't she supposed to be in Tartarus with Percy or something?_

_ "Oh good, Jason. You're finally awake. I was beginning to worry I wouldn't be able to talk with you before you actually woke up. You know, in the real world. You're dreaming right now." That made more sense. Sadness washed over him as he realized Annabeth wouldn't be there when he really came to his senses, but at least he had a chance to speak with her now. This also meant both he and she were alive for the moment, so that was a pretty decent bright side._

_ "If you're wondering how I managed to do this, I have no idea." She blushed as though embarrassed she didn't have an answer. "Your best guess is as good as mine. Which isn't saying much since my guesses are highly more educated and accurate if you ask me...or anybody else. No offense. No scratch that you can be offended." Normally, Jason might have been irritated, but Annabeth was grinning at him and laughing a bit, so he knew she was kidding._

_ He sat up and took in the scene around him. He was in, a meadow? Talk about cliche. Around them were beautiful wild flowers and the sun was shining brightly. A cool breeze washed over them making him shiver. It wasn't cold though. It was, well it was perfect. He could hear birds chirping away in the trees, and when he glanced to the right, he saw a little picnic blanket set up with little food and cans of soda scattered all around in. Was he in Elysium or something?_

_ Part of him was thankful for this little break in heaven, but the other half was kinda mad. Why were the gods taunting them with this beautiful landscape? It was as though they were saying, "This is your dream, but it will only come true while your asleep. We are in charge of your life, and we decide when you get to be happy and when you don't."_

_ "Jason! Snap out of it!"_

_ "What? Oh, sorry. Just admiring the view."_

_ "Yeah, well, I need to talk to you and I doubt we have much time considering how amazing this place is." He nodded encouraging her to continue. "So, as you know, Percy and I are in Tartarus."_

_ "Yeah, about that Annabeth. I'm SO sorry. If I had seen you guys-"_

_ "Jason! Don't interrupt. It's okay by the way. Nobody is blaming you. Or anybody else, so make sure you explain that."_

_ He sighed in relief. It felt good to get that apology off his conscience. "Thanks. It means more to me than you can imagine. Anyways, continue."_

_ "Okay. While Percy and I were running through Tartarus, you know, trying not to get killed, I saw something..." he voice died off and she got a mystical expression on her face._

_ "What was it?"_

_ "Oh! Sorry. Well, it was this thing. And it was sparkly. And it was super pretty. And-"_

_ "Annabeth, snap out of it! What did you see that's making you so crazy?"_

_ "I- I'm not actually sure? I thought I was, but I'm forgetting now. All I can tell you is I wanted it. Really badly. I don't know what came over me. I saw it out of the corner of my, and then it was all I could focus on. This sounds terrible, but in that moment I was willing to die - I was willing to __kill__ for it."_

_ "Woah! Um, I will definitely warn everybody to stay away from shiny things that make them want to kill. Thanks for the advice."_

_ "Uh, yeah. Sorry I can't be of any more help."_

_ "No, no. Don't worry about it." At that moment, the earth began to tremble. He watched as cracks traced along the ground. Then, Annabeth screamed._

_ He turned in horror and watched as she began to fall backwards into a giant crevice. His heart pounded, and he jumped frantically towards her throwing out his hands in an attempt to stop her from plummeting down into the deep, dark hole. A second time. His efforts were futile though as she lost her footing and disappeared. The last he heard of her was, "It was golden!" And then, she was gone, _and he was sitting upright panting on mossy ground feeling wetness seep into his clothing.

"Oh. My. Gods. I'm alive!" The sound forced its way from his throat in a cracked whisper, but if it were physically possible for him to scream, he would be. Honestly, he hadn't expected to make it. His father had never done him too many favors, let alone any of the other gods. Then, it hit him.

"Piper." Was she okay? Please let her be okay. He had to apologize for everything. He had to make sure she knew he would never let her die. He would make his way through Tartarus and back for her.

Scrambling to his feet, he bit back a wince as his shoulder jostled around. It didn't feel broken, but something was definitely wrong. Ehh, he'd worry about it later. Right now, his primary concern was to find his friend.

Limping forward, he began trekking through the woods. Pieces of metal and wood littered the ground, all that was left of the once mighty Argo II. Poor Leo. That ship was his baby. He'd spent months creating her, and now she was destroyed. Festus was gone. Again. He had a pretty big apology to make when he caught up to everybody. _If _he found them.

He stopped momentarily, and leaning heavily against a tree. Recent events had left him pretty worn out, and he needed a short rest. He settled for surveying his surroundings and looking for clues of which direction to head. It all seemed pretty hopeless at first, but then, just as he was about to walk off in a random direction, he saw it.

Sitting on a medium-sized rock was an eagle feather. It was soft and looked slightly bent as though it had been adjusted repeatedly into a specific position. A braid for example. It had to belong to Piper. Did this mean he was close? He sure hoped so.

A growling sound in his stomach reminded him it had been at least twenty-four hours since the last time he'd eaten. While he didn't admit it, Nico's words had hit a sore spot and kind of killed his appetite.

Stumbling towards the feather, he tried to determine which way to head. The feather pointed straight ahead and back towards the path he came from. Maybe they arranged it in the direction he needed to go? Well, it was a better guess than nothing. The leaves did look a little more flattened in that area anyways. It had to be the right answer.

The wind blew hard against his bare skin, making him shiver. His clothes had been singed in the explosion, and there were gaping holes everywhere (Though mainly in his shirt. Thank the gods!). Strangely enough, he didn't have any burns. There was definitely some godly intervention there, though from who, he had no idea.

His thoughts wandered, but kept centering around one point: Piper. What was he going to do? What was he supposed to say? He'd to the girl he loved her! It was true and all, but was it too soon. Did it make things awkward between the two of them? Frank _had _said she didn't feel the same about Jason...

Then there was the ship. As of, well Jason didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, so as of a while ago, the crew had lost all terms of fast transportation. Not to mention all of their clothes, belongings, money, food, water, - He cut himself off. There was nothing he could do about now, so there was no point in obsessing over it. They had their feet for moving, everybody (leave out Piper) grabbed their weapons for fighting, and they were wearing pajamas, so they did have some form of decency. Yeah, his crew mates were going to be pretty pissed.

"I really hope I didn't just ruin the entire quest," he mumbled before scolding himself. "Shut up, Jason. Stop whining. Life is tough, but complaining isn't going to get you anywhere. Now man up, find your friends, and beat those giants and mother earth!" He could save the world...right?

Continuing along, he felt his eyes begin to droop shut. How long had he been walking? Where _was _he? Was he even going in the right direction? Too many questions, and not enough answers. His ankle was throbbing, and his shoulder was killing him. Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes, but the world around him was so dark by now, he barely noticed. He had to find them. Now.

"Piper! Are you out there? Are you okay? Frank, Leo, Nico? Hazel! Hazel, where are you guys?!" His shouting echoed loudly through the forest. Around him, the wind picked up, but everything else remained silent.

Then, it changed. Around him, the breeze whizzed, sending knife like sounds screaming though the air. The trees swayed, and he could hear the crack of branches snapping under pressure. Something was out there, and it wasn't good.

The air tornadoed around him, sending his brain into a fog. Then, it began to speek, "_Careful, little hero. This one's too big for you. For better, or for worse. This time you get to choose." _

Jason's breathing came in short gasps. His lungs begged for the oxygen the whirlwind sucked from his throat. As the wind died around him, his surroundings returned. The oaks and cedars stood eerily still. The only difference were the fresh leaves powdering the ground.

His next thought stuck him like a punch in the face. His hands felt heavy, as though they were trying to drag him down. He had no idea which path to take. The tornado had spun him round, and rid him of any ability to know which way was which. Not to mention the world was pitch black, minus a faint glow up ahead. A fire?!

Hope jolted him out of his momentarily paralyzed state, and he began to limp-run towards the possibility of success. Maybe he'd found everyone after all. The leaves made soft crunching sounds beneath his feet, and he shivered thinking they reminded him of bones. It was brighter now. Beckoning him in. He saw a small clearing near in the distance, 200 feet at most, and determined that must be his destination. It would be the perfect place to set up camp for a night. Not large enough to be a WE ARE HERE beacon, but not so tiny everybody would have to pile on top of each other, so there would be enough room to sleep.

Pushing aside a last branch and letting is whip into place behind him, Jason entered to field with a grin on his face. Finally, after all that work, he was faced with...nothing? All that sat in the middle of the damp grassy clearing was a small sparkly light, around the size of a softball. It was almost golden.

A pit sank deep in his stomach, and he took a step back. Is this the thing Annabeth was talking about? It didn't _look _dangerous. Plus, he wasn't overcome with the urge to rip somebody's head off. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Did the crew leave another clue for him to find. Stumbling forward, he collapsed next to the item.

It was in fact golden, but it definitely wasn't a a softball. It was an apple. Perfectly polished, giving off a pulsing light that warmed his face. Maybe somebody had grabbed Piper's Cornicopia and left this behind to let him know he was close. He tried shouting their names a few more times, but was still met with silence.

Frustrated, he got up and hurled the apple into the nearest tree. A large cracking sound echoed as a result, and pieces of bark flaked off. Picking the fruit up, he was almost thankful the apple didn't appear to be damaged. Maybe it would be important later on.

A voice startled him out of his silent fascination. "Jason! Be careful with that! Here, give it to me!" It was hard and cold, but somehow seemed familiar.

Stuttering, he replied, "H- Hazel? Is that you? Where are the others? I'm so glad you're okay!" He began to limp towards her, relief evident in his voice and posture, but was cut off.

"Shut up, Jason. Now hand over the apple. Now. I mean it." Confusion momentarily blinded him. What was wrong with her?

"Oh, Hazel calm down for a second. This isn't you. The fruit it, it's controlling you. Annabeth said-"

"Annabeth is in Tartarus. Now give me the apple, and I won't harm you." She advanced towards him as though in a trance. He watched in horror as her hand went calmly to the weapon at her side.

Backing away, he panicked. "Hazel, stop! Fight it, Hazel, please." His injured foot stepped back on to a smooth rock causing him to lose his footing and fall. Biting back a cry of pain, he squeezed his eyes shut as his bad shoulder made the initial impact with the floor below.

"Jason, Jason. So gullible. So naive. I gave you a chance, and you blew it. Now prepare to die."

She lunged at him, arms reaching for the apple tightly grasped in his hands. Just as he felt her weight crash on top of his body, he felt the fruit disappear from his fingers. Evaporate into thin air.

The world was fading in and out of focus, threatening to leave him unconscious. With a last effort, he managed to get himself under control, and his surroundings began to come into focus again. Hazels locks of hair tickled his face, and he could see tears in her golden eyes.

Sitting up slowly, he wrapped his good arm around her and held the girl as she cried.

**Another chapter complete! (My longest one yet!) I hope you like it 3**

**I'm really sick, so if the end part doesn't make sense to you, it's probably cause my mind isn't really connecting thoughts together right now. Ughh...I look like rudolf the RED NOSE reindeer. Yuck.**

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	7. Chapter 7-Hazel

**Disclaimer: My initials are IT not RR, so...**

**Chapter 7 Hazel**

All she could see was gold. Sparkling, flashing across her vision. Beckoning her, and she wanted it. No, she needed it badly. And then, there was Jason. Holding the precious object, trying to keep her away from it. What a selfish boy. He had to pay for this.

A tiny part of her brain screamed, "Stop! You don't want to do this." But the rest of her craved the golden fruit.

She watched, calculating her next move as he stumbled backwards, holding the precious item close to his chest. It was perfect. He was down, and she was ready. Ready to kill if she needed to. Her cavalry sword was gripped tight in her hand as she pounced, flying through the air and knocking into Jason. The golden light consumed her, and then everything went black.

She was sitting in the forest on top of a shaken Jason, and everything she'd done suddenly hit her. She felt wetness come to her eyes, and before she knew it, she was sobbing into the shoulder of the boy's purple t-shirt. Her body was shaking, and she could feel the wind blowing, leaving goosebumps on her bare arms. Where were they? Where was everyone else? She couldn't remember.

"Hey, Hazel. It's okay. Everything is going to be fine. I've got you. Can you talk to me?"

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry. I didn't mean it." A fresh wave spilled from her eyes, leaving her cheeks wet with droplets. Her mind felt fuzzy. She just wanted to curl up and sleep.

"Hazel, I'm going to lay you on your side. I think you're in shock. It'll make you feel better." In the back of her mind, she registered her head nodding up and down. Cold but firm hands slowly lowered her to the damp ground.

She heard a wince in the background. Had she hurt Jason when she jumped on him? Wow, that sounds a bit dirty. Better not tell Piper.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine. Just go to sleep, and I'll wake you in the morning. I can take tonight's watch. I'm pretty sure I was asleep for a while after the explosion anyways. Then, we can talk, and make a plan. Goodnight."

_What explosion? _His hand caressed her hair in a soothing motion, and she weariness seep over her. Maybe some rest wouldn't be too bad. Who knows when she'd be able to sleep next. It could be days with all this crazy demigod stuff going on.

There hadn't been a single break in action lately, and right now, the soggy leaves she lay against felt like the most comfortable pillow in the world. Her lids closed, and she drifted away to the sounds of steady breathing and Jason rubbing slow circles on her back.

By the time she awoke the next morning, the sun was hot in the sky above the grassy clearing. Jason was nowhere to be seen, but footprints leading away down a little path were visible, so she figured he'd gone to look for breakfast and water.

Her stomach growled, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. The world tilted for a moment as she adjusted to the new perspective, but soon, she was standing up, prepared to explore. Here feet carried her towards the small trail, and with her sword in hand, she was on her way.

After crossing only ten feet, she came to a fork in the road, and continued following Jason's marks to the left. The dirt was soft and muddy as though it had rained recently which confused her seeing that it was the middle of summer, and the air was stale and dry. In the distance, she heard a faint trickle of running water and figured she was nearing her destination.

Five minutes later, she stopped. Crackling filled the air and smoked tickled her nostrils as she inhaled. Dropping closer to the ground below most of the smoke she inched forward quietly. Hoping it was simply Jason preparing a more comfy campsite lead her to keep moving, but the threat of danger warned her to be cautious. Within seconds, she saw the warm glow of a fire next to a river bed, but nobody was in sight. Shifting slowly, she settled herself behind a large tree to wait. Better to see who's area she would be walking into before they noticed her intruding. If they had such a large blaze going, they were bound to return soon.

Time passed, and just as she was about to grow impatient, the sound of heavy dragging footsteps appeared. That did _not _sound like Jason. He was always light on his feet. What if it's a monster, and it's captured him? Are they going to burn him on the fire? Panic welled up inside her and it was all she could do to keep her breathing silent and under control.

To her horror, she could here the thing coming closer. _Step drag. Step drag. _ With pained heavy breathing. Right as she thought it was going to move around the large trunk and find her, a large thump echoed through the area. Whatever was here just sat down right around the tree.

The wind shifted carrying the aroma of smoke, embers, and fish entering the nose whenever she inhaled. "Achoo!" Her heart thudded in her ears, and she felt her ears go pink. She didn't just sneeze did she? Oh, god. It had surprised her. She hadn't expected it, and now Gaia's monster was going to kill her.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the worst. She could imagine claws tearing into her skin, or being bound by ropes and roasted over the fire along with Jason. The quest would fail, Gaia would awaken, the world would end, and-

"Hazel? Is that you?" Wait...that sounded like Jason. An alive and not dying Jason. But it couldn't be. He'd never be so loud and clunky.

"Um, yeah. I mean, I think so. Jason?"

"Yeah, it's me. What on earth are you doing behind the tree?"

"I didn't think it was you!"

"Well, there aren't too many people hiding out the middle of nowhere. I think you were spying on me," he replied sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid. I was _not _checking you out. I mean not that you aren't you know...um, yeah, cute or anything...I have a boyfriend you know!"

"And I have a girlfriend, but you don't see them anywhere." He smiled and winked in her direction.

"You're not being serious."

"Oh, I'm quite serious," he responded before bursting into laughter. "Hazel, you are the funniest, most gullible person I have ever met!"

"Am not! You're forgetting about Leo."

"Well played. Still, your face was priceless."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a fake pout.

"So, you really think I'm cute?"

"Stop being a smart*ss, and help me figure out what to do next, Sparky." She socked him softly in the shoulder, and was surprised to receive a strangled, half-stifled gasp in return.

"Jason, what's wrong?!"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just, um, joking with you?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and his voice sounded wobbly.

"Oh, please. You're obviously hurt. Plus, the reason I didn't come out from hiding when you got back was because you sounded so heavy on your feet. I figured only a monster would stumble around like that, definitely not you."

"Really, Hazel, I'm good. Just jarred my shoulder a bit when ramming down Piper's door. It's no big deal."

"Come on. Just let me take a look. Then, we can be even. You did help me just yesterday, you know."

Finally giving in, Jason nodded, "Just this once, and nobody else gets to know about it."

"Whatever. Why are you so sensitive about letting people know you're injured. You're gonna get yourself killed one day, stupid."

"I don't know. I've been a burden this whole quest, and I just want to do something right for a change. I just- everything Nico said is true. It's all my fault." His cheeks immediately flushed red, and she could see embarrassment lining his features.

She reached out and slowly began helping him remove his charred shirt before replying, "You're wrong, Jason. Nico was being possessed by eidolons. They're lying manipulative creatures. Don't let Gaia get to you."

"But-"

"Not finished yet! Without you, we never would have made it this far. Plus, Piper would be dead, and so would Percy and Annabeth. Don't sell yourself short. They don't call you Saving Grace for the fun of it. Now get that through your head, and let's focus on your shoulder."

He continued to look skeptical, but she could also see relief mixed in and was satisfied with the speech. Go Hazel!

"So, do you have any idea where the others are?" he asked.

"Nope. I actually don't remember much of yesterday at all. It's like, I recall running off the ship, and then, nothing. Everything is dark. The next thing I knew, I was staring at that, it was a golden light you were holding. Jason, I- I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-" she felt her eyes rim with tears, and quickly brushed them away. This was no time to cry.

Across from her, the boy just shook his head. "It's okay. I understand. After the ship exploded and I passed out-"

"What?! The Argo II ship exploded! How?"

"Oh, yeah. It's- I'll tell you later after we make some more plans. Anyways, I had this dream, and Annabeth was there. We were talking, and she explained that while she and Percy were making their way through Tartarus, she saw this glowing light. She said that in her mind she needed it. That she wanted it enough to kill."

_That's exactly how she'd felt. What was this thing?_

"I think it possessed you somehow. Not like the eidolons or anything, but you know."

"Yeah, I do." They went silent for a moment. Each of them alone in their own worlds.

Finally, after a long, careful process, Hazel managed to gingerly lift Jason's shirt completely off his body. What she saw made her nauseous.

"Oh my gods." His entire shoulder was covered in mottled bruises, and the limb was hanging to his side at an unnatural angle. Maybe it was just a dislocation, but it did not look good. "Wow, um okay. We need to set your shoulder before this gets any worse. Is there anything else that's hurt?"

He stayed silent. His eyes lay trained on the mossy ground.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Nothing major. My ankle just hurts a bit. Probably sprained it."

"That's why you sounded like a herd of elephants galloping along! "

"Thanks, Hazel. You make me feel _so _special." She eased his shoe off, and was relieved to see the ankle was swollen, but not horribly so. With a bit of nectar, he should be walking normally again.

"So, what's the verdict doc?"

"Number one, don't call me that. Number two, your foot isn't too bad, but the shoulder will probably take a while to heal. It's dislocated pretty badly, and I'm sure you've strained a bunch of muscles."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Well, it's better than broken. You know how to set it right?"

"About that..."

"Wait, you've seriously never set a shoulder before?"

She shook her head. "I was only at the legion for about a year, you know. I spent it mainly learning how to fight and stay alive."

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Anyways, it's pretty simple. I can teach you."

Approximately five minutes later, Jason's shoulder was successfully replaced, and they were snacking on some berries he'd collected under the tree. Hopefully, they weren't poisonous. They didn't taste half-bad, and she was starving, so it didn't really matter to her anyways.

Jason broke the silence, "Alright. I think it's time to make some plans. I mean, we no longer have a ship, our friends are nowhere to be seen, and I have no idea where we are."

"I know. It's just so nice to finally have a short break. I don't want to keep fighting monsters and stressing out about how much longer I have to live."

"Don't we all? But you have to admit, we really need to figure out what's going on and where we're going."

"I guess. There's also the golden apple. We have to figure out what's going on with that too before Annabeth or I end up, well, you know."

"Yeah. Do you have any idea what it is?"

She pondered this, "I don't know. Maybe. It seemed...familiar in a vague way." Something about it _had_ been bugging her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _Think, Hazel. Think. Is it something from the past? Some old story?_

And then, it hit her.

**Guys, I'm sorry. I know this chapter was bad. It was kind of a filler since I'd been doing so many with action and cliff hangers and all that shtuff... I promise my next one will be more exciting! Any requests? Suggestions? I will not give up :)**

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	8. Chapter 8-Hazel

**Disclaimer: I no Own**

**Chapter Eight - Hazel**

After relaxing for a few more hours and eating a couple small fish they managed to catch and roast over Jason's fire, the two demigods prepared to venture off through the woods. A new sense of purpose, understanding, and also complete horror had settled in Hazel after her revelation about the Golden Apple. It was, and would likely continue to be, nothing but trouble, and that is one thing she didn't need any more of.

On the bright side, if there was a highlight to the Argo II exploding, they had almost no provisions to carry, making their load light and their progress speedy. Jason's ankle was completely healed up, and she hadn't heard one branch snap beneath his worn sneakers since they'd begun walking. His shoulder was in a makeshift sling created by her jacket. The day was scorching, and she didn't need it anyways.

Sweat trickled down her face both from heat and fear. She didn't know exactly how bad this fruit was going to interfere with their quest, but they couldn't afford to lose any more time. With the world about to end and all, they were in a bit of a rush. _Please don't let it cause a battle like the first time. _

The metallic curse began the Trojan War during its first time in action along with a giant feud between Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. Owned by Eris, the object was most commonly referred to, by kids at Camp Jupiter, as the Apple of Discord. Maybe not the most terrifying title, but her knees quaked every time it appeared in her mind. The way it made here feel - it was uncontrollable and dangerous. Those two adjectives never pair well together.

The sun first rose and then began it's decent towards the horizon as she and Jason walked on. Sometimes they talked. Other moments, silence washed over them. The journey seemed endless, the scenery never change, and they seemed to be getting absolutely nowhere. Beside her, Jason sighed.

"I'm starting to think we're walking in circles. I swear, I've seen this tree about eight times already."

"I know. I mean, we must have walked what?"

"Eight miles so far. I've been calculating."

"Are you really _that _bored?"

"No, Hazel. I just "love" staring at identical trees on the same looking path in an unchanging forest for five hours straight. Dude, I'm bored to death!"

"It's not too bad, I guess. I mean, there are some pretty flowers."

"Please. They're more like weeds. I'd rather fall into a pit than keep going."

"You're going to jinx our luck! At least we haven't seen any monsters. Go knock on wood. I think I see a tree in the distance," she said, motioning sarcastically to the grove of branches and trunks surrounding them from all angles.

"Haha," he replied, rolling his eyes, but walking over to a giant Cedar anyways.

His blonde hair was caked with mud and moss, but parts of it still shone in the sunlight. The scar on his lip curved into a crescent moon as he rapped his hand against the crumbly bark.

"Happy now, your Highness?"

_ "_Very."

"Well good."

"Yes, it is."

"Yep."

"Uh huh."

"Hazel! I know exactly what we need to do!" A grin enveloped his face, and his eyes were squinty, forming miniature smiles of their own.

She burst out laughing. "And what would that be?"

"You'll see."

"What? When? No, you _have _to tell me."

He shook his head. "Nope. It's a surprise."

"Jason Grace, you tell me right now or I will, I will..."

"You will what?"

"I will tell everybody about the time Reyna turned you into a guinea pig." Perfect. Point two for Hazel!

"She did what?" His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped down into a large 'O'.

"Wait, you can't honestly tell me that you don't remember. Oh my gods. It was just about the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life!"

"I guess you are pretty old by now. Let's see ten, twenty, thir-"

"Oh, shut up. But she really did. It was Aprils Fools Day, and you tricked her into thinking Octavian had somehow taken over the Legion in the middle of the night. I don't know how, but anyways, when she found out it was all a big joke, she was so furious that she did this weird magic thing, and all of a sudden, you were a rodent." She could still imagine his little whiskers twitching and his frantic squeaking, obviously guinea pig language for a string of swear words.

"No way. She couldn't. She wouldn't."

"She did."

Quiet ensued, and she glanced over at her friend. He seemed to be completely lost in thought. The hint of a laugh wavered on his lips as though a funny memory was coming back to him. Unlike Percy, Jason still had a few missing pieces of information from his past.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Answering automatically, he replied, "Reyna was always so beautiful. I think I love her, and now-" he froze. Hazel felt her body go rigid. Both of their eyes widened, and she put a hand to cover her mouth.

"Wait. I did not just say that out loud. I didn't, I, Piper, oh, please don't-" he looked positively desperate, ashamed, and bright red. She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"I won't tell Piper, Jason."

"Oh, thank-"

"As long as you do."

His forehead wrinkled, and he frowned. "I can't. I just, I don't want to hurt her."

"That's what you'll do by letting her believe you do! It's only going to get worse from here. Trust me. The faster you get out, the better she'll take it."

"But, Hazel. You don't understand!"

"Don't understand what? That after what you've put her through, she deserves your honesty? Because she does, Jason. So man up, and get it done." She was kind of mad at him. She hadn't known Piper for a long time, but she seemed like a pretty nice girl. He didn't have the right to manipulate her feelings.

"No, it's just that, I said it."

"Said what?"

"_IT."_ Then, the meaning dawned on her.

"Oh, Jason Grace, you did not tell that poor girl you _loved_ her." He nodded slowly, eyes trained on the ground in embarrassment. At least he felt bad. "When?"

"Right before I made the Argo II explode. I wasn't sure if we were going to make it. And in case I died, or...she died. I just I wanted her to know. I thought it was the truth. I really did."

He slumped down on a rock, absently rubbing his injured shoulder. He looked pretty mad with himself, but sorry wasn't going to cut it this time.

She walked over and slung a slender arm over his broad frame. "I hope you can run pretty fast because boy is she going to kill you." She smiled sympathetically, letting him know that she wasn't too angry with him, mostly worried about how this would affect the dynamic of the crew in the future.

Shaking his head and smirking, he replied, "Hazel, I can do much better than running. I can fly." And with that, he tightened his good arm around her torso and shot into the air. She screamed.

Wind blew through her locks of golden hair, and goosebumps speckled her skin as they swiftly gained altitude. The height was dizzying, and being a child of Pluto, she would normally be slightly terrified to be in Jupiter's domain, but she figured that with Jason she had a free pass. The airborne ship hadn't been to bad (at least it was better than sailing), but it had still been slightly nerve wracking.

"Surprise? Hazel, open your eyes. We're just hovering now."

She hadn't even noticed her lids were squeezed shut, but as she opened them one millimeter at a time, she gasped. It was gorgeous. The new perspective gave the dull forest a completely new life, and it was a thankful change from staring at tree bark. She began to warm since the sun still shone brightly in the distance.

"It's gorgeous. Look at the mountains. Oh my gods, I never want to come down." She really didn't.

"We can fly for a while. We'll probably cover more ground this way until I get tired. Keep an eye out for everyone else while admiring the view."

"I will. Do you do this a lot?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's pretty cool. The only thing I like, other than summoning lightning, about being a son of Jupiter."

"Haha. Yeah, at least your powers are useful."

He shot her a look as though saying, "Don't be modest and sell yourself short." She didn't mean to. It was just that with everything that happened to her mother and Gaia in the past, she pretty much hated anything to do with precious metals. And then she started thinking about the Golden Apple, and she got so involved in stressing out and taking in all the nature at the same time that she almost missed the flash. If only she really had.

"Jason, it's there." She needed to hold it (whatever 'it' was. There seemed to be some sort of fog or boundary blocking her vision.). To take it in her hands and just have it. Nobody else deserved it like she did. It belonged to her.

Jason whipped his head around and fixed his eyes to where she pointed. Squinting, he cocked his head to the side and looked at her. "I don't see anything."

But Hazel's thoughts were completely gone. All she could see was the faint metallic flash, lighting up her world about two miles ahead. It pulsated, sending out waves of gold. She felt arms gripping her tight and a voice shouting her name in the background. She wanted out.

"Let me go! I need to find it!" Her legs kicked, and she squirmed helplessly. Arms flailing, she felt herself make contact with something, and then, she was falling.

A scream ripped through her as she noticed trees getting closer and closer. She lost complete contact with whatever was controlling her mind, dropping down far enough that she could no longer see it. Her heart pounded. This was _not _supposed to happen. She still needed to save the world and find her friends and...she was scared of dying all over again.

Falling into hysterics, she cried out, "Jason! Help me!"

From above, a voice responded, "Spread out your arms to slow the fall. I'm trying to catch up, but you're dropping too fast." The ground was less than a football field away, and Hazel was seriously panicking. _This is why I never fly. _Following the instructions, she lay flat in the air. Maybe it was working, but she didn't feel any different.

"Hang on. I've almost got you!"

"Hang on to what? I am falling in mid air right now. There is nothing to 'hang on' to! Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods. I'm going to die! We're all going to-"

A hand snagged the collar of her t-shirt, and her body jerked to a standing position (if it was even possible to do that in the sky). She felt cloth digging into her neck as it choked her. _Great. Now I can't breathe. _Black dots ran through her vision momentarily, but Jason soon wrapped an arm around her, and she doubled over in a coughing fit. Their decent slowed.

"What in Hades happened?" she fumed.

"I could ask you the same thing. I mean what were you thinking kicking my where it counts way up in the sky?" She didn't remember that. In fact, she could barely recall being up in the air at all. It was all filled with black as though that part of her memory had been completely erased. Not the kind of amnesia Jason had, but sort of a blank space in time. It was weird and kind of creepy too.

"Um, well, sorry? I think, uh, well, I don't really remember what happened." They touched down soft, but shakily, on the ground, and Jason unwrapped his arm from around her waist.

"What do you mean? How do you forget _that _within the span of like two minutes, Hazel. I mean- Oh!"

"What? What is it?" She had her suspicions. Obviously, she wasn't stupid, and the last time she experienced this was while attacking Jason to go after a devious fruit/destroy the world thing. So... "It was Eris, wasn't it." She wasn't really asking, and he just nodded.

"I can't imagine anything else at this point. On the bright side, it must mean we're getting closer to everyone else! They can't be more than three miles away if you saw it, and that's assuming your eyes are hypersensitive to its power. It would make sense that it went after Piper, or even somebody else in their group. It visited Percy and Annabeth, then you and I, and now its targeting the rest of us. We should hurry, and make sure they're okay."

"Shall we continue then?"

"We shall my dear lady."

And then, they fell into a pit.

**So, anybody who hasn't lost complete faith in me and this story has the right to kill me for not updating in about three months. It's honestly terrible. Somebody I know found this story, knowing it was me and I asked them not to read it. It was embarrassing, and I got discouraged, so I stopped writing. But anyways...thank you to everybody who commented and followed this story! I promised I wouldn't give up, so here I am :)**

**Replies to reviews:**

**vvGirlNextDoor889vv** - Thank you so much for the encouragement! You were the first one who really made me consider picking up this story again. Your comment meant a lot 3

**MortisRose - **Thanksssss :D I updated! Finally. Sorry for the long wait.

**Mairead **- I have not given up! Thanks for reviewing. It pushed me to finish the chapter and post it! Happy reading :)

**Thanks guys! You're all super awesome, and I know this chapter isn't great. I still need to get back into the swing of writing. I kind of forgot what happened in my own story, but I will make sure there is action in the next chapter. Is this a cliffhanger? I mean, I suppose you may want to know about the pit, but I'm not sure if it was that exciting. Don't worry. I will make it exciting! Review?**

**~ IzzyBookLover98 the girl who apologizes to all of the people waiting for her to update. (Not a lot, but still...)**


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